LARIA NEW CAMPAIGN

LARIA’S SCENT TOOK OVER ONE YEAR TO DEVELOP. DURING THE PROCESS WE DISCOVERED THAT ITS NOTES REFLECTED EACH SEASON. IN SPRINGTIME LARIA’S GREEN HERBS ARE PROMINENT. LATER THE SLIGHT CITRUS AND SEA-SALT COOLED THE HOT ITALIAN SUMMER. IN FALL THE CHESTNUT BLOSSOM NOTE BROUGHT SENSUALITY WHICH THEN MELLOWED AS THE WEATHER TURNED COLDER, GIVING A BALMY SCENT.

PHOTO BY VINCENT WHITEMAN - ICELAND VINNYWHITEMAN.COM

WE WANTED PICTURES TO DESCRIBE LARIA IN WINTER. THE PHOTOGRAPHER VINCENT WHITEMAN, TOOK THE PICTURES FOR THE LAUNCH OF THE WEBSITE AND WE WANTED HIM FOR THIS TOO. VINCENT IS BASED IN LONDON AND AS I WAS COMING THROUGH THERE ON THE WAY BACK FROM PITTI FRAGRANZE WE ORGANIZED THE SHOOT IN OUR APARTMENT IN BLOOMSBURY.

VINCENT WHITEMAN - EXAMPLE OF HIS INTERIOR WORK, MORNING LIGHT PARIS

WE PLACED THE BOTTLES ON 18TH CENTURY FURNITURE WHICH USES NATURAL MATERIALS, MARBLE AND INLAID WOODS, IN A LUSH WAY. THE ‘COMMODE’ THAT WE FILMED ON HAS BEEN IN MY FAMILY FOR GENERATIONS AND HAS TRAVELLED WITH US BACK AND FORTH ACROSS THE ATLANTIC. MY GRANDPARENTS LEFT EUROPE FOR THE USA IN 1940, TRAVELLING FROM GENOVA ON THE LAST PASSENGER BOAT TO LEAVE. THEY LEFT THEIR FURNITURE OF THE VILLA ON THE RIVIERA HIDDEN BEHIND A SECRET WALL. THE NAZIS TOOK OVER THE VILLA AS AN OFFICE AND SOON DISCOVERED THE VALUABLES HIDDEN BEHIND THE WALL. AT THE LIBERATION THE US ARMY STOPPED THE DISPERSAL OF THE GOODS AND GAVE THEM BACK TO MY FAMILY. THAT’S WHY THESE THINGS ARE STILL SO DEAR TO US.

MOODBOARD

VINCENT

LONDON LIGHT

LARIA

VINCENT SETTING-UP IN OUR APARTMENT.

AS PROPS WE USED A PAIR OF ROUND PAINTINGS OF THE ANNUNCIATION TO THE SHEPHERDS AND THE ADORATION OF THE MAGI BY THE 18TH CENTURY ARTIST JEAN-BAPTISTE DESHAYS DE COLVILLLE. THEIR ROCOCO STYLE MATCHES THE BUTTERY RICHNESS OF CHRISTMAS SWEETS. THESE PAINTINGS ARE STILL IN AMAZING CONDITION WITH THE BRUSHSTROKES AND ‘PENTIMENTI’ STILL CLEAR IN HIGH-RES PHOTOS.

DESHAYS

MARRON

MET MUSEUM

PHOTOSHOOT

CANDIED FRUITS AND MARRONS GLACES ARE OUR FAVORITE CHRISTMAS TREATS. CHESTNUTS WERE THE FIRST INSPIRATION OF LARIA AND ARE AN IMPORTANT INGREDIENT OF IT.

THERE WERE SUPPOSED TO BE MORE MARRONS, BUT WE HAD A SUGAR DROP AND THEY WORKED VERY WELL WITH THE MORNING ESPRESSSO!

MARRONS GLACES ARE SIMPLE AND LUXURIOUS AT THE SAME TIME. THEY ARE ‘EASY’ TO MAKE BUT ARE EXPENSIVE BECAUSE THE CHESTNUTS HAVE TO BE THE VERY BEST AND THE PROCESS IS ARTISANAL.

CHOOSE THE LARGEST ‘MARRON’ VARIETY OF CHESTNUTS. NICK THE TIPS WITH A KNIFE. BOIL THEM FOR 10 MINUTES IN ORDER THAT THE SHELL CAN BE REMOVED. CAREFULLY REMOVE THE PAPERY SKIN TOO. PLACE THE SHELLED CHESTNUTS INTO WATER WITH LEMON JUICE TO ‘CAUTERISE’ THE OUTSIDE, REMOVE AND DRY.

GENTLY BOIL THE CHESTNUTS IN SUGAR SYRUP WITH A VANILLA POD FOR AROUND 20 MINUTES, REMOVE AND COOL ON A RACK.

HAVE A SMALL POT OF BOILING WATER AND A SMALL PAN OF CLEAN SUGAR SYRUP TO GLAZE SIDE-BY-SIDE. WITH A SKEWER DIP THE COOLED CHESTNUTS INTO THE WATER AND THEN INTO THE GLAZE. PUT ON A RACK IN A WARM DRY PLACE TO DRY-OFF.

SEARCHING FOR A reference OF WINTER LIGHT for the campaign WE FOUND THIS FROM BEN PENTREATH WHO’S STORE PENTREATH & HALL IS AROUND THE CORNER FROM OUR APARTMENT IN BLOOMSBURY, LONDON. it reminds us of morning runs in winter with sharp air and the sound of crunchy grass. the FROSTED GLASS OF THE laria bottle is like this.

next month we will update the website with winter images. we hope you enjoyed this glimpse of the new profumi fluviali campaign.